“I spent that whole day being called a groomer”

A new report has revealed that a number of libraries across Ireland have been targeted for supplying LGBTQ+ reading material or holding drag story events (in which drag queens or kings read age-appropriate stories to children). This is part of a global trend in which anti-LGBTQ+ protestors target libraries, using misinformation campaigns to conflate queerness with child abuse and imply that children can be manipulated into becoming trans or queer by the LGBTQ+ community.

The study, titled Resisting Hate and Navigating Agitation, was carried out by UCD’s School of Information & Communication Studies and is based on in-depth interviews between researchers and library staff. Several participants in the study reported experiencing harassment, both in person, online, or via phone, as part of an organized effort targeting libraries.

Some expressed concerns for their safety, noting they had been labeled as paedophiles or groomers, and in some cases, reading material was burned by protesters. Last summer, Cork City Library was forced to close due to fears for employees’ safety during an anti-LGBTQIA protest. Many employees reported feeling “intense feelings of anger, frustration, stress and trauma” from the protests.

The report highlights a fear of being physically attacked, particularly in rural libraries where there is often only one employee present at a time. Some employees reported feeling intimidated walking to their cars after work, particularly at night. One employee highlighted that staff had “seen how angry the agitators can get, that makes people frightened, you know. If you see them, they’ll push people. They’ll shove people. They’ll push elderly people.”

Many respondents cited the fear of being labeled a paedophile or groomer and being filmed by protesters. One librarian stated: “It’s such a confrontational situation… There is somebody looking you straight in the face and calling you a child abuser.” The study revealed that when they were called “groomers” or “paedophiles,” it was often in the presence of children in the library.

The report suggested updating and maintaining security protocols at public libraries to ensure quick, coordinated responses to threats. This would include staff training on incident reporting, handling disruptive behavior, and regular reviews of emergency plans with local authorities and Gardaí.

The report also calls for social media platforms to take stronger action against agitators promoting hostility toward libraries, making the point that a small number of extremist individuals can be “amplified” and “legitimised” by social media.

Elsewhere on District: Ireland’s LGBTQ+ Youth are Experiencing a Mental Health Crisis